‘Mom’ Season 8: First Season Without Anna Faris Gets Premiere Date at CBS

CBS has announced the premiere date for Season 8 of Mom, and it will mark the first without lead star Anna Faris. The actress recently announced that she would be stepping away to pursue other opportunities, putting an end to her character Christy. The popular sitcom is set to return Nov. 5 at 9 p.m., following B POSITIVE according to TVLine.

“The past seven years on Mom have been some of the most fulfilling and rewarding of my career,” she said in a statement according to E!. “I’m so thankful to [Chuck Lorre], the writers, and my amazing castmates for creating a truly wonderful work experience. While my journey as Christy has come to an end, allowing me to pursue new opportunities, I’ll be watching next season and rooting for my TV family.”

Faris played alongside Allison Janney (who portrays the role of Bonnie), Mimi Kennedy, Jaime Pressly, Beth Hall, Kristen Johnston and William Fichtner. The mom-of-one played the role of Christy who was a recovering addict and young mom who attended AA meetings alongside her mom, Bonnie. Fans, of course, were eager to know whether her character would be recasted or not, but Warner Bros. TV and Lorre have both said that the character was written for Faris and they don’t plan to fill her shoes with anyone else.

“From the inception of Mom, Anna was the first and only choice fro the role of Christy,” their statement said. “We are so proud of the stories we have been able to tell during Anna’s seven years with us. We wish Anna all the best, and we thank her for her beautiful portrayal.”

While everyone seems to be on great terms, it’s being reported that it was a total surprise not only to fans, but to her co-workers as well. The “sudden” decision reportedly had CBS scrambling for a solution moving forward. A source close to the show’s production told PEOPLE that her decision was a “surprise” and no one is “happy about that.” Her choice to leave was “sudden and unwelcome, and it left the entire network scrambling.” The source said it was “not a good thing at all” and “no one” wanted her to leave since the show has been a consistent hit ever since it began in September 2013.

“Mom has been on of CBS’ more profitable scripted shows, in a very challenging economic time,” the insider said. “And now one of the leads is gone. It’s actually a nightmare. No one wanted this.”